Alan Rickman will be remembered for being an incredible acting talent and starring in films such as Love Actually and A Little Chaos.

But his own love story was even more heartwarming than the scripted tales he was given to read.

The Hollywood star, who died aged 69 this week following a battle with cancer, married his life-long partner Rima Horton in a secret ceremony last year after nearly 50 years together.

He met Rima in 1965 when he was 19 and she was 18 and the pair lived in London together from 1977 until his death.

Alan Rickman and Rima Horton last year (Photo: DAVID HARTLEY/REX/Shutterstock)

When asked what the secret was to his happy relationship - in April, he dropped the wedding bombshell, telling German newspaper Bild: "We are married, just recently. It was great, because no one was there.

"After the wedding in New York we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and ate lunch."

He jokingly added that he bought his new wife a $200 dollar ring "that she never wears."